{"id":8836,"date":"2026-05-02T07:59:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T07:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=8836"},"modified":"2026-05-02T07:59:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T07:59:28","slug":"nasas-lithium-thruster-reaches-record-heights-in-a-vacuum-chamber-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=8836","title":{"rendered":"NASA&#8217;s Lithium Thruster Reaches Record Heights in a Vacuum Chamber Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.techeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02005126\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg\" alt=\"NASA Lithium Fed Thruster Electric\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\"\/><br \/>Engineers at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory gathered around a special 26-foot vacuum chamber in February of last year to witness a prototype engine fire five times in a row. The temperature within that device skyrocketed, exceeding 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit, with a center tungsten electrode burning a brilliant white and an outer nozzle spewing out an astounding crimson stream of lithium plasma into the void of space.<\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-242150\"\/><br \/><iframe title=\"JPL Tests Next-Generation Electric Thruster\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6XsqSA9tNfY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe title=\"JPL Tests Next-Generation Electric Thruster\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6XsqSA9tNfY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><br \/>\nThose short bursts of fire boosted the engine to a clean 120 kilowatts, a level not even the most powerful US-built electric propulsion system had ever achieved. High voltage electric currents rip through lithium vapor inside the engine, interact with a magnetic field, and suddenly the plasma blasts out of the nozzle at a breakneck pace. It everything works together to provide you with a consistent thrust without any flames or explosions, just a smooth and continuous push that accumulates over months or even years in space. The lithium works so well for the job because it ionizes cleanly, can run on lower voltages than other choices, and allows the system to pack a big punch into a small space once everything is scaled up.<\/p>\n<div class=\"aawp\">\n<div class=\"aawp-product aawp-product--horizontal\" data-aawp-product-asin=\"B0FMS8BW3K\" data-aawp-product-id=\"229564\" data-aawp-tracking-id=\"tec02e-20\" data-aawp-product-title=\"LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket Building Toy for Boys &amp; Girls - STEM Learning &amp; Space Toy W\/3-Stage Launch Function for Kids Ages 9+ - Idea for Birthdays - 42221\">\n<div class=\"aawp-product__thumb\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aawp-product__image\" src=\"https:\/\/m.media-amazon.com\/images\/I\/41S7jgJxIqL._SL160_.jpg\" alt=\"LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket Building Toy for Boys &amp; Girls - STEM Learning...\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"aawp-product__content\">\n<p>            LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket Building Toy for Boys &amp; Girls &#8211; STEM Learning&#8230;        <\/p>\n<div class=\"aawp-product__description\">\n<ul>\n<li>BUILD AN OFFICIAL NASA ROCKET \u2013 Kids prepare to explore outer space with the LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket (42221) building&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>3-STAGE ROCKET SEPARATION \u2013 Young builders can turn the hand crank to watch the rocket separate in 3 distinct stages: solid rocket boosters, core&#8230;<\/li>\n<li>STEM BUILDING TOY FOR KIDS \u2013 This educational rocket kit was created in collaboration with NASA and ESA to showcase the authentic system that will&#8230;<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nSenior Research Scientist James Polk from JPL is the driving force behind the operation, with assistance from his colleagues at Princeton University and NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center. They spent a long two and a half years planning and building the monster with funds from the space nuke propulsion program. Polk described the test as a \u201cbig stride forward\u201d because they not only demonstrated that the engine works but also achieved their target power exactly as expected. The data acquired throughout those five test cycles is now being used to plan the next releases.<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Psyche Solar Electric Propulsion Engineer Julie Li \u2013 Behind the Spacecraft\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FPiai4dW1kI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><noscript><iframe title=\"Psyche Solar Electric Propulsion Engineer Julie Li \u2013 Behind the Spacecraft\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FPiai4dW1kI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript><br \/>\nNASA has already tried electric propulsion on missions with a lot lower power outputs, such as the Psyche spacecraft. This one revolutionary design can deliver 25+ times more power than those units while utilizing only a fraction of the prop required for a chemical rocket. In general, these techniques will reduce fuel requirements by up to 90%, allowing spacecraft to launch much lighter and carry far more cargo or crew supplies.<\/p>\n<p>Eventually, nuclear reactors will provide enough electricity to keep the thrusters going over extended distances. A mission to Mars, for example, will most certainly require 2-4 megawatts to get the entire crew there. Once this configuration is in place, the transits will be much shorter because the spaceship will be able to keep chugging along steadily for the entire journey rather than coasting for the majority of it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.techeblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/02005120\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric-1.jpg\" alt=\"NASA Lithium Fed Thruster Electric\" width=\"1280\" height=\"800\"\/><br \/>Of course, before any of this can happen, the team must first conquer a number of hurdles. The components must be able to sustain heat for thousands of hours without failing, and the engines must be capable of producing at least 500 kilowatts, if not more. The testbed they\u2019ve set up in the vacuum chamber at JPL provides a strong foundation for them to address those difficulties one by one.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> NASA&#8217;s Lithium Thruster Reaches Record Heights in a Vacuum Chamber Test<br \/>\n<br \/>#NASAs #Lithium #Thruster #Reaches #Record #Heights #Vacuum #Chamber #Test<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Engineers at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory gathered around a special 26-foot vacuum chamber in February&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8837,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[7647,4624,7644,3413,6146,1369,3542,7645,7646],"class_list":["post-8836","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tech","tag-chamber","tag-heights","tag-lithium","tag-nasas","tag-reaches","tag-record","tag-test","tag-thruster","tag-vacuum"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg",960,640,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric-768x512.jpg",640,427,true],"large":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg",640,427,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg",960,640,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg",960,640,false],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric.jpg",960,640,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/news678.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/nasa-lithium-fed-thruster-electric-540x340.jpg",540,340,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/news678.top\/?cat=8\" rel=\"category\">Tech<\/a>","tag_info":"Tech","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8836","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8836"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8836\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8836"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8836"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news678.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8836"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}